JOURNAL ARTICLE

Earth's Rotation Is Speeding Up This Summer. Here's Why.

  • Published In: Time.com, 2025. P. N.PAG 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Kluger, Jeffrey 3 of 3

Abstract

The article explains that the Earth will spin slightly faster on July 9, July 22, and August 5, 2023, shortening each day by about 1.3 to 1.5 milliseconds. This acceleration is unusual and is primarily attributed to the moon's position near its maximum orbital tilt of 28°, which can increase Earth's rotational speed despite the moon being at apogee (its farthest point). Other factors such as earthquakes and climate change typically slow Earth's rotation and are not responsible for this speed-up. The phenomenon is closely monitored using a global network of 450 atomic clocks, which maintain precise timekeeping essential for technologies like GPS and telecommunications.

Additional Information

  • Source:Time.com. 2025/07, pN.PAG
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Science
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:2476-2679
  • Accession Number:186585691
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Time.com is the property of TIME USA, LLC and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.